Reebok International Ltd., the No. 2
U.S. athletic-shoe maker, signed Minnesota Vikings quarterback
Daunte Culpepper to a multiyear endorsement contract, spokesman
Ron Rogers said.
The signing comes a year after Nike Inc., the world’s largest
athletic-shoe maker, sued the 26-year-old quarterback because of
breech of contract to keep him from joining Reebok.
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Culpepper completed 333 of 549 passes for 3,853 yards and 18
touchdowns for the Vikings last season. He was second on the team
with 609 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns, behind Michael Bennett.
A first-round draft choice in 1999, Culpepper took over as
the Vikings’ starting quarterback in his second National Football
league season and passed for 3,937 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Nike signed him to a one-year endorsement contract for the
2001 season. Culpepper tried to switch to Reebok in 2002 but Nike
sued, saying it had the right to match any offers from other
athletic-shoe companies.
The lawsuit was settled on Dec. 12, when Culpepper agreed to
wear Nike products for the remainder of the 2002 season.
Rogers didn’t disclose terms of the Culpepper’s contract.
In May, Culpepper signed a 10-year, $102 million contract
extension, with a $16 million guarantee. He has 10,402 career
passing yards and 65 touchdowns during five NFL seasons.
Shares of Canton, Massachusetts-based Reebok fell 7 cents to
$30.58 at 3:10 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading on Wednesday
and have gained 17 percent in the past year.
Bloomberg News
